Performative Materiality: Exploring Meanings and Expressions in the Artworks of South African Contemporary Artist Sikhumbuzo Makandula

Abstract

This research addresses the absence of a structured framework for analysing the interplay between performativity and materiality in contemporary South African art. It introduces Performative Materiality, a novel analytical framework, to examine the dynamic relationship between artistic actions and material forms in the work of contemporary South African artist Sikhumbuzo Makandula. His practice integrates performance, ritual, and material culture to engage with South Africa’s socio-political history and spiritual narratives. The study challenges traditional distinctions between passive objects and active performance, arguing that they exist in a reciprocal relationship shaping cultural expression and critique. A multi-layered qualitative approach combines visual analysis and artist interviews, incorporating Feldman’s Critical Analysis Model and the Janice Mason Art Museum’s Four Steps in Art Criticism, with Performative Materiality as the primary theoretical framework. This framework consists of six key criteria—Material Dynamism, Performative Impact, Reciprocal Influence, Contextual Embeddedness, Transformative Interaction, and Embodied Interaction—which together facilitate a nuanced analysis of how performative and material elements actively shape meaning and socio-political engagement. Findings reveal that Makandula’s practice disrupts static historical interpretations by merging embodied actions with symbolic materials, re-signifying cultural memory and resistance. His use of ritual, ephemeral materials, and historic spaces challenges dominant narratives, offering new ways of engaging with identity, colonial legacies, and spirituality. The study demonstrates Performative Materiality’s effectiveness as a structured and adaptable analytical tool in contemporary South African art, highlighting its potential for refinement in addressing temporality, audience engagement, and digital materiality. Ultimately, this research positions Performative Materiality as an essential framework for decoding the complex interplay between performative acts and material agency, reinforcing its significance in contemporary artistic discourse in South Africa and beyond.